Alex Eisen/MDN Our Redeemer's senior Annie Folden (center) smiles after signing a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to continue her volleyball career at Minot State.

Annie Folden was a seventh-grader when the Our Redeemer’s volleyball team started to take annual trips to the Class B state tournament. Two years later, as a freshman, Folden became a contributing factor in winning four straight Region 6 titles.

Now, Folden’s time with the Knights is up.

While graduation awaits, the ORCS volleyball’s dynasty remains intact. Folden, the 2019 Region 6 Senior Athlete of the Year and an All-State selection, did her part in passing the torch along.

The culmination of her efforts earned a crowning moment on Wednesday when Folden signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her volleyball and academic career at Minot State University.

“I was looking at a couple of different colleges,” Folden said. “I decided to come to Minot State because all of my family and friends are here. I wanted to stay close to them.”

Surrounded by family and friends inside the ORCS gymnasium, Folden made the commitment official. The notable volleyball banner found on the back wall — listing off state tournament appearances — watched over the proceedings.

During Folden’s tenure, the Knights placed second, fourth (twice), and seventh at the state tournament. The imposing middle hitter finished with 1,111 kills, 609 digs, 603 blocks and 394 aces in her high school career.

“(Folden) is an individual who is hard-working and will bring consistency to any program,” ORCS volleyball head coach Kara Nunziato said. “It will be fun to see her learn under Minot State’s direction, and see her bring her game to the next level.”

The MSU volleyball team will undergo a substantial roster overhaul before next season due to a handful of starters graduating. That includes middle hitters Emily Falldorf and Hayley Swain.

Folden overtakes former Minot High School standout Caitlyn Messner as the newest Minot native to be recruited by MSU volleyball head coach Dana Cordova. As a true freshman last year, Messner played in eight games for the Beavers, which was mainly due to fellow teammates getting injured.

“It will be different to see (Folden) in a different jersey,” Nunziato said. “But, I know she will represent our school well.”

The last ORCS volleyball player to sign an NLI was Ashley Koppinger. She played for Minot State’s rival, the University of Mary, from 2013 to 2014.

From Nunziato’s estimations, Folden becomes the 14th Knight in program history to sign and pursue a volleyball career at the next level. She is the second to play at MSU — Rylie Ringeon played one season for the Beavers in 2009.

Folden is also the second ORCS student-athlete to commit to Minot State in the last two weeks. Hailey Roberts signed with the Beavers women’s basketball team on Jan. 8.

“The environment at Minot State really drew me in,” Folden said. “It felt a lot like Our Redeemer’s. I really love their coach too. It all sounded really familiar, and I liked that.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.